Trump continued: “And he gave me some opinions on some people that were very interesting to me, and that meant something to me. … He wants what’s good for our country. So I did talk to him about certain people that I’m thinking about. Got his ideas.”

The president-elect said he had “good chemistry” with Obama and enjoyed “a couple of great conversations.”

“He — you know he’s very committed,” Trump said. “And you hear all different — I will tell you, I really liked him, I think he liked me. I think he was surprised also.”

So far, Trump has announced several cabinet appointments, including Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defence and Ben Carson for secretary of housing and urban development. But one of the top posts in his administration — secretary of state — remains unfilled for the time being.